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Indian businessmen pledge grants for Israelis to study Hindi

June 2, 2014

Indian businessmen are putting their money where their mouth is to promote Hindi in Israel, announcing at Tel Aviv University on Sunday a grant worth some $33,000 per person for students learning the language.

They were at Tel Aviv University to partake in the World Hindi Day celebrations being hosted there.

The businessmen, all involved in the diamond exchange, said the grant would support travel expenses of students, who excel in Hindi at the varsity level, and "to enable them to visit India to sharpen Hindi language skills during the next five years," according to the Press Trust of India news service. Hindi alumni of TAU will accompany the students

"It is a matter of pride for us to see so many people learning our national language in Israel and to see such enthusiasm for Indian culture. It is an effort from our side to promote a resurgent India in Israel," said Ranjit Barmeja, a leader of the Indian diamond community at the exchange, according to PTI.

Barmeja added, "We have been living here since 1980s, before the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and we hope this contribution will help in strengthening our bilateral ties."

Prof. Eyal Zisser, dean of humanities at TAU, announced his school would create a fund to support trips to India for Hindi students.

The Hindi Day celebrations, which included plays, Bollywood songs and Sanskrit readings, attracted hundreds of participants.

"Those who know Hindi do have an edge while doing business in India," India’s Ambassador to Israel, Jaideep Sarkar, told the audience during the event, PTI reported.